MOBILE LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WITH TEXT TO SPEECH

• US 20090048821A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yam, Shuk Yin, Jang, Jeong Sik
• Application Number:
  US12/131,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048821A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards a language learning environment accessible from within virtually any website that enables a user to practice a language using tools such as translators, and text to speech capabilities. In one embodiment, the user may access a webpage in one language, and employ the language widget to select portions of content on the webpage, perform translation of the content, or perform a text to audio (speech) conversion of the selected portions. The text to speech conversion may be performed independent of translation, thereby allowing the user to hear a pronunciation of text within the website in a language associated with the website. The user may download an audio file of the converted text for use in later replay for mobile learning.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium that includes data and instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions on a computing device provides for managing communications over a network by enabling actions, comprising:

accessing content over the network, wherein the content is in a first language and where in a user accessing the content is associated with a second language, and wherein the first language and the second language are different;

selecting at least a portion of the content;

receiving a display of information indicating how to pronounce the selected content in the first language, and

allowing the user to play an audio file of the selected content converted to speech, such that the user is provided with an audio play in the first language.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user is further provided with a selectable mechanism to download the audio file onto a client device, such that the downloaded audio file enables mobile learning of the first language.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the data and instruction enable actions, further comprising:

receiving a device identifier associated with a client device for the user;

determining a geographic location of the client device based on the received device identifier; and

determining the second language based on the determined geographic location.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data and instruction enable actions, further comprising providing a user interface, for use in enabling the user to display the information, and play the audio file, wherein at least one instruction for use of the user interface is in the second language.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the user interface further enables the user to select content for at least one of a translation from the first language to the second language, or performing a search wherein a result of the search is at least in part in the first language.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data and instruction enable actions, further comprising providing a language learning component that is integrated within at least a portion of content.

7. A method for managing a communications over a network, comprising:

accessing a webpage over the network, wherein content on the webpage is displayed using a first language;

displaying at the webpage an interface to a language learning component that is configured and arranged to enable a user to perform language learning actions;

enabling the user to select a portion of content on the webpage using the interface;

providing through the interface an audio file of the selected portion of content in the first language with a pronunciation guide; and

enabling the user to download the audio file onto a client device for mobile learning of the first language.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one instruction associated with the interface is displayed in a second language that is different than the first language, and wherein the second language is determined to be a native language of the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the interface is displayed using a second language, wherein the second language is determined based in part on determining a geographic location of the client device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to select a format of the audio file.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the interface further provides at least one sponsored advertisement to the user using at least one of the first language or a second language determined to be a native language of the user, and wherein the first language and the second language are different.

12. A network device to manage a communications over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, comprising;

providing for display on a webpage an interface to a language learning component that is configured and arranged to enable a user to perform at least one language learning action, and wherein content at the webpage is displayed in a first language, and at least a portion of the interface is displayed in a second language that is different from the first language;

receiving a selection of a portion of content on the webpage through the interface, wherein the user employs the interface to select the portion of content;

providing through the interface an audio file of the selected portion of content in the first language with a pronunciation guide, wherein the audio file is playable for the user through the interface; and

enabling the user to download the audio file onto a client device for mobile learning of the first language.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the at least one language learning action further comprises performing at least one or a dictionary lookup or a search based on the selected portion of the content.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the second language is determined to be a native language of the user based on a client device identifier.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein the interface enables the user to select a format in which the audio file is to be downloaded.

16. The network device of claim 12, wherein the portion of the interface is displayed in the second language further comprises displaying at least one instruction for use of the interface in the second language.

17. A mobile device for enabling a communications over a network, comprising:

a memory arranged to store data and instructions;

an input interface for receiving requests and sending responses; and

a processor arranged to enable actions embodied by at least a portion of the stored instructions, the actions comprising;

accessing content over the network at a network device, wherein the content is displayed using a first language;

accessing a language learning component at the network device, wherein the language learning component is configured to display at least one instruction in a second language, wherein the first and second languages are different;

selecting at least a portion of content at the network device using the language learning component; and

receiving an audio file for play, wherein the audio file is a text to speech conversion of at least the portion of content selected, wherein the speech conversion is played in the first language.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the language learning component further provides a pronunciation assist of the selected content for pronouncing the selected content in the first language.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein receiving the audio file further comprises enabling selection of an audio file format for use in downloading the audio file to the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the language learning component is further configured to be downloadable onto the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the content is accessed from within at least one of an audio book, a text file, a graphic file, a desktop screen display, or a word processing document.